Looping device



Patented Mar. 10, 1931 PATENT OFFICE GUSTAV A. BOETTCHER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LOOPING DEVICE Application filed May 7, 1927. Serial myisaeso.

This invention relates to looping devices with particular reference to the class wherein the looper proper is secured to an arm which I in turn is hinged to a supporting member adapted to be mounted on a shaft in a quilting or sewing machine.

The main object of my invention is to provide quilting and sewing machines with a looper device in which the looper may be unlatched and folded outward to a readily accessible position for rethreading or other attention.

I Further obj ects and the various advantages attained by my invention will appear fully 1 hereinafter as the specification proceeds.

I In the drawing forming part hereof,

Fig. 1 is a view which diagrammatically represents the main moving parts of a quilting machine to show the relation of the parts in conjunction with the device embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of two looper devices mounted on a shaft with the looper arm of one de-' vice in open and extended position.

Fig. 3 is a side view of one such device with the arm partly open to show the relation of the same to the latch normally retaining the same in position; I

Throughout the views, the same reference numerals indicate the same parts.

In some sewing and quilting machines it is possible to build their structure very compact and doexcellent work almost impossible on the ordinary style if the work table or apron may cover the looping devices therein. This introduces a grave difficulty however, as the loopers are then inaccessible. My invention is designed with the object in view of avoiding this point as well as taking in the first object mentioned.

In practice, a work table or apron 1 is spaced between the feed roller 12 and the drawing rollers 9 and 10, while a needle 2 is supported by a bar 3 in a position to pass a distance into the table and carry with it the thread 4:. A fabric 11 upon which work is to be done is fed from roller 12 under the needle, which may represent a row of similar needles, and thence through rollers 9 and 10 to a larger take up roller not shown. Below the table is mounted a swingable looper device on a rockable shaft 13, the body of the device being noted 15, and rockable with the shaft. 'A block 14 serves to hold the device onthe shaft, and if unscrewed from the part 15 will release the device from the shaft without dismantling the whole machine. The means for rocking the shaft to operate the looper are not shown, as such means and operations are well known in the art. Howso ever, the part 15 has a slot 22 upon one side in which anarm 7 is hinged or pivoted at a point 17 below the shaft 13. And in the normal position, a thread 5 will pass through the looper 6 to'mesh with the thread 4: from the needle. The part 8 forms a guide and assists in this operation, although'the same is not necessary to mention at length here, as the device as a Whole is more directly the subject of this description.

The looper arm has a pin 21 projecting over one side of the body part 15 and is adapted to be normallyengaged by a latch 20 which is projected outward by a spring indicated at 23 in part 15, while a latch handle 18 is adapt- 7 5 ed to. travel in the slot'19 and incidentally retain the latch member in place. If the thread 5 has broken or is exhausted, and a new thread must be put through the looper, it is manifest that it would be a little diflicult to reach the so looper under the table with the thread, especially if'a series of looper devices were mounted close together on the shaft 13. It is but necessary in this instance to pull down a little on handle 18 to release the arm 7 which may be gripped between the fingers at the.

nger clearance 16 and thearm will readily fold down into a position noted in the first view by dotted lines. In this mentioned position the looper is clear of all surrounding so obstructions and is as accessible as though completely removed from the machine. The looper device is actually increased in length for the time being, but, is easily thrown up into normal position again when the same has been threaded and the latch will snap behind the retaining pin 21, and again hold the arm in thebody 15 in a rigid relation to itself. Under operating conditions, the arm is, of

course, for all practical purposes rigid with the body 15, whereas the hinging feature allows the easy threading which is so desirable.

- ing a fabric table onsaid machine, a rockable looper shart arranged parallel with said table, and a block secured upfon'said shaft Having now fully described my invention, I claim g r 1 1. The combination with a sewing machine having fabric fee'din q, means and sewing instrumentalitiesincluding afneedle, there beto rock therewith, of a looper arm provided with a projecting looper and normally held rigid with said block in such manner as to be. 7 rockable with said shaft adjacent said needle,

therebeing obstructions on either side of said looper' arm confining same to a relatively narrow space coincident with its general a plane of movement, and means for releasing 1 said arm and, looper from normal position within said narrow spaceto relatively more:

distant position with re'spect to saidroclrable looper shaft and'said stable through a plane of movement generally parallel with said" {looper andtransverse to the axis of said shaft norder to rendersaidlooper accessible for manual adjustments.

, 1 2. The combinationwith a sewing machine,

' having-a fabric support and aloopershaft disposed adjacent said support, of 'a pluralityof looper blocks secured upon said fshaft to be simultaneously rockable therewith, individual loopers supported upon said blocks to correspond with said needles, and means adapting said loopers to be individually swinga'ble through parallel planes to temporarily in creased distant positions relatively to'said shaft so as tobe relatively accessible with resp-ectto said support; .7 3. Theicombination witha sewing machine having a fabric-table and sewing'instrumentalities including needles. and a rockershaft arranged beneath said table, of a plurality'of split blocks applied to said shaft .in spaced relation so as to begindividual'lyremovable and normally simultaneously rockable with" the shaft,means to clamp and-thereby secure said'blocks to theshaft, individual -loopers' supported on said blocks :to correspond with saidneedles and normally rock with said blocks andsaid shaft, saidloopers'being also independently 'displ'aceablewithrespectj to said-blocksso as tobe rendered temporarily;

adjustmentaat'will. 4.- In a sewlngv machlne havlng a fabric accessible relatively to said table for manual table and'a needle, alooper shaft having a block clamped thereon so asto" be releasable therefrom, and normally swinga'ble with "said shaft, a loope'r armpivoted'on said block in suchmanner as to normally swln'g wlth said block and shaft, the looper arm being independently releasable to swing upon its pivot about: an axis'spacedinparallel relation to said shaft, and means to normally hold I the 

